Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Just watched part 1. Honestly, plenty of those 'transformations' I saw.. although some appeared pretty good for three months, they actually looked bogus.

Few guys there already looked like they had the muscle same muscle mass in both the before and after pictures, and they just went on a 3month cut. Really didn't see anything special, apart from maybe one (yet to watch part 2 however).

I think 3 months is a shitty representation of the quality of transformation you could create in 6 or 12 months. Plenty of people would probably pike given a 6 or 12month time frame. And having a 6 or 12month time frame would allow each competitor to take a more 'relaxed' shot and still see progress. Rather than these 'poses' for the second shot, which totally deforms the original look, and gives the illusion that the person may have grown much more than they really have.. or that they may not have grown at all due to having essentially the same muscle mass as they did in the beginning.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

OK, so you’ve pre-registered for the Challenge, watched all DVD’s, told all your friends and family you’re doing it ( and hopefully recruited a couple of them to do it with you ! ) and most importantly - got inspired and committed yourself to taking on the 12 week Muscle Up or Shape Up Challenge to get in the best shape of your life. So what happens now?

Well ,with less than a week before registrations for both the MAX’s Muscle Up Challenge and the Maxine’s Shape Up Challenge open on July 15th, we thought we would let you know a bit more about what you will need to do to get involved, and also answer a couple of common questions that people have been asking.

You should already be aware of our new registrations options this year ( Public, Private and Group) . If you aren’t then click here

It couldn’t be simpler to get involved in the Challenge. At around 10AM Monday July 15th, the current Challenge websites will change to the new sites that will contain the registration module, and all the information required for your Challenge. Registrations will remain open from July 15th and close midnight Sunday July 28th. You can register ANYTIME within that timeframe. If you do not register in that timeframe, you will not be part of the Challenge. Let’s make that clear again. You can register ANYTIME in the timeframe specified above. As soon as you register you will have access to the training plans.

WHAT WILL I HAVE TO DO TO REGISTER ?

You will get detailed instructions on how to register later this week, but suffice it to say; to register you will just have to enter your personal details, choose whether you will be registering as ‘private’ or ‘public’ and as part of a group or not, ( if male – choose whether you want to do the ‘Build Size’ or ‘Shred’ program ) and most importantly, upload your ‘before’ picture.

EVERYONE participating in the Challenge ( whether registering as ‘Private’ or ‘Public’ ) MUST SUBMIT A ‘BEFORE’ PICTURE that meets all requirements. Remember the only difference between the two is if choosing ‘Public’; the public can see your pic and you are eligible for prizes. As ‘private’, only you can see the pic ( not the general public ) but you are not eligible for judging or any prizes.

If you do not post a correct picture with all requirements, be aware your registration will be deleted once the Challenge commences and you will not have access to any of the resources provided.

Each Challenger registering MUST include the following in their ‘before’ picture:

Challenger facing front, wearing suitable clothes to reveal your physique (exact details will be available on the site when registering, but basically shorts or bathers only for men, and crop top/ bikini top and shorts for women)

Be a full body pic showing you from head to toe

Include the Challenger holding a copy of a ( preferably ) national daily newspaper or regional daily newspaper ( clearly visible ) to prove the day the photograph was taken.

All pictures uploaded MUST be jpeg format ( again if not sure what this means will be explained in great detail ) Essentially a pic taken on practically all smartphones is fine. If using a digital camera, please ensure the pic is no larger than 4Mb in size.

The before picture must be taken no more that 1 day ( 24hrs ) before you register and upload the pic ( so make sure you have everything in place and organised to do that ! ). Our advise is to take the pic and register on the same day. That way you will not be caught out.

You will be able to register online via your computer, on your 3G enabled smartphone ( either android or iphone ) or tablet ( i.e ipad etc ) Remember you can register ANYTIME whilst registrations are open, but you are only officially registered when ALL the required steps ( including uploading your before pic with all requirements met) are complete. Once you register – you will have access to the Challenge website, nutrition and training programs, and other online resources.

PLEASE NOTE however, the first OFFICIAL day of the Challenge is not until Monday July 29th. That is the same for all Challengers. Even if you successfully register on the 15th, your first official day of the Challenge will not be until the 29th. Makes no difference when you register – everyone will start on the same day.

Got it ? That means the earlier you register, the bigger the head start you get on the rest of the field ! So if you are in the Challenge to win it, our advise is to get your picture up and registrations done as soon as possible after registrations open on the 15th !!

Also, it’s important to note that once you register you will be able to access our Challenge forum and get in touch with our awesome team of coaches and ambassadors if you have any queries. For fairness though, you will not be able to post anything to your blogs until the Challenge officially starts on the 29th.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO I HAVE TO USE DURING THE CHALLENGE ?

It is a stipulation of the competition that to win prizes, you need to demonstrate you have used MAX’s or MAXINE’s BURN products during the 12 weeks. Please note there is no minimum or maximum amount you need to use. Obviously this stipulation is partly a commercial consideration, but is also there as the products work, and most importantly will be integral to ensuring you get the results you are after !

If you ask anyone that’s done this Challenge, they’ll tell you that what we try to do is to provide you the fundamentals of how to transform your body. It’s something we have learnt over 30 years in business, and a lifetime of successfully transforming physiques ! This information is not only valuable in the Challenge but also what you can hopefully keep using long after the Challenge is over. It works !

What you’ll get in the challenge is a couple of recommendations depending on what program you choose. Each program will list what we call ‘The Essentials’ which are the basic supplements you will need to include in your nutritional program to get the sort of results you want; and ‘Next Level’ which are products you can use to broaden and really kickstart your transformation. You don’t have to use the products listed in the ‘next level’ section, and what, and how much you use of these products is totally up to you though.

OK, that’s about it for now. Hope you are as excited as we are about registrations opening next week ! Chat again very soon,

The Challenge Team

Edited July 15, 2013 by steveP

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

5 days to go! Wow, we hope you are as excited and ready as we are! Just a quick note today on some more frequently asked questions we are getting in the lead up to registrations opening next Monday the 15th July.

WILL I GET NUTRITION AND TRAINING PLANS AS PART OF THE CHALLENGE?

Short answer is - Yes! :

We will provide you detailed training and nutrition plans based on the following timeframes - weeks 1-4, weeks 5-8, and weeks 9-12.

The plans for weeks 5-8 and the final 4 weeks will only be available as the dates in the program arise.

Trust in the training and nutrition plans. They work. Try and stick to them!

As Master Coach Fred will tell you more than once along the way – this is all about ‘test and measure’. It’s a process of trial and error until you figure out what’s best and what’s working for you specifically.

Our expert team of Coaches and Ambassadors will be on hand almost 24/7 for support and information. If you have any queries whatsoever along the way so we urge you to utilise their years of expertise. More info on how you can access them below.

WHAT PROGRAM SHOULD I CHOOSE?

There are two programs to choose from in the Max Challenge – ‘Build Size’ or ‘Shred’.

If you are a skinny guy trying to pack on some bulk, then choose ‘Build Size’.

If you are looking to lose a bit of fat while putting on lean muscle, then ‘Shred’ is for you.

As we’ve said, you will need to choose one or the other at registration. You can access both however once registered.

If it suits your training needs, you can do a combination of both over the course of the 12 weeks. Some Challengers in the past have chosen to do the ‘Build Size’ for 8 weeks or so and then use the ‘Shred’ in the final weeks to tone up. But you can’t do both programs at once. It's incredibly difficult to build size while losing fat, and something even top bodybuilders find problematic.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I GET THROUGH THE CHALLENGE?

As well as providing you with all the necessary training and nutrition programs, you will get access to a large variety of online video tips about nutrition and training and most importantly access to our team of Coaches, Ambassadors and the whole Challenge community for support! You will also get access to our Challenge forum.

Even though we have separated the Challenge for men and women for judging purposes, one of the MOST important parts of the entire Challenge process is the community that develops between Challengers as the 12 weeks progresses.

Use the forum for:

General Support along the way

Having questions answered by our coaches and ambassadors

Sources of information on training tips

Sources of information on nutrition tips

As a key in your motivation and state of mind along the way

The great thing about this forum is that both men and women can access the same forum. Even though we have separated the competition for judging – we are all in this together!

The forum is easy to use and will be divided into a few different sections:

Nutrition

Training

Motivation

General Chit Chat

Admin/Technical Help

Just post a question on any of those topics in the relevant area and you will get help from not only our team, but also the entire Challenge community! Only people successfully registered for the Challenge and our team of Coaches, Ambassadors and Challenge Admin Team can access the forum. Not the general public.

You will also be able to “search” for a topic in this year’s forum, as it can often be difficult wading through all the information. So if you want to find out a bit about ‘training legs’ or even the ‘rift’ between too much and not enough cardio – just type it in the search area and see if it’s already been covered.

Finally, our Master Coach Fred will be giving you some Challenge specific tips in the coming weeks on Muscle TV. We are also very excited to announce something very special in the way of support for every participant in the Challenge.

Each Sunday at 7:55pm (AEST), starting on Sunday 14th July (the day before registrations open) Fred will be appearing on TV4ME (Free to Air Digital Channel 74) with a special message FOR ALL CHALLENGERS! Each week at the same time on Sunday night for the entire 12 weeks of the Challenge, Fred will be on your TV screens and in your lounge rooms with a message to everyone participating in the Challenge, including which lucky Challengers have won the ‘Blog of the Week’ prize in the ‘Muscle Up’ and ‘Shape Up’ Challenges, and also very specific and incredibly useful information for your upcoming week. How good is that!

Just for you, and specific to the Challenge on FREE TO AIR TV! This will be a fantastic way for all Challengers to get some great info and most importantly get set, and get motivated for the week ahead.

If you are out and about, working or just don’t catch Fred on each Sunday night broadcast though fear not – his message will be available on the website too.

You will see a ‘Register / Login’ button on the top right hand side of the screen on the website -it is different from the preregistration website you see now. When the new website goes live, just click the ‘Register / Login’ button and follow the straightforward 5 step registration process and you are now ready and registered for the 2013 Challenge!

There are a few VERY important things that you need to know and understand before we make the new site live and registration opens tomorrow however. Soplease take the time to read the below carefully.

Firstly, and we know people are waiting on this, is to do with what time registrations will open.

Registration will open when the new website goes live at 3pm Monday July 15th. We had advised in previous communications that this time would be 10AM, but this is NOT the case. We understand and appreciate that many of you are keen and ready to register and may have had plans to do so as soon as the site went live at the previously advised time of 10am. However there are a couple of final technical tweaks we need to make that may affect some users. As such, unfortunately we need to use this extra time to complete these changes and ensure the website is ready and working for all users. The changes would not be noticed by the majority of people registering and we realize that might be frustrating for some of you – but in the end it’s only a couple of hours that you allow us to help make things a bit easier for some Challengers that might be bit ‘Challenged’ by the technological age! We trust you understand this minor inconvenience but rest assured you will be able to register tomorrow. There will be no more changes to this time!

While we are on the matter of technology, we strongly recommend that before you register you spend some time (even tonight) to ensure the device you will be using to register (i.e. desktop computer, tablet or mobile device) meets the requirements of the website. This is very important!

Although the Challenge website is designed and built to meet requirements of most people, we cannot accommodate everyone's personal computer set-ups. Some people have old computers and technology has changed! As such, please check your system requirements meet the necessary specifications required here to ensure you are good to go when registration opens. Please note, if your device does not meet these specifications, you may experience some issues with some parts of your registration. If you do find your computer is not quite up to date, it will be very easy to bring you up to speed.

If registering on tablet or 3G/4G enabled mobile phone:

There is a small technical issue that we are working very hard to rectify for you, but is one that is unfortunately totally out of our control. This issue will affect anybody using Apple products (i.e. iPhones and iPads).

If using either of these devices for your registration, the only issue you will find is that any photos uploaded (i.e. your before image) may appear to rotate 90 degrees when you upload it into your registration. Please be aware this issue will have NO IMPACT whatsoever on the validity of your ‘before’ image. Rest assured we are working with Apple on a solution for this, however in the interim if this does happen to you during registration –DO NOT WORRY! As we said, it will not affect your entry into the Challenge in any way at all. All we ask is that you please keep a copy of the original ‘before’ image on file (or in your ‘camera roll’) in case we need to ask you to upload it again. We don’t want to go overboard telling you this (and it will only effect you if using ipad or iphone to register) – but we’ll say it again. Please DON’T worry if your pics rotate! Just load up your image and if it does rotate, just leave it. It's fine, and it’ll all be sorted out in the long run!

Ok, now that the tech issues are out of the way, let’s take a look at some tips about what you should wear and image guidelines for your ‘before’ image to ensure you give yourself the best chance of winning the Challenge!

1. CLOTHING - What to wear in your before image:

For MEN: Form-fitting shorts, ‘skins’ or bathers are preferred showing legs and torso.

For WOMEN: Form-fitting shorts, bathers (bikini bottoms) with either crop top or bikini top are preferred showing legs and torso.

Do not cover your legs with long shorts or 'cut' them out of the image.

Remember, if you cover up parts of your body it will be harder for you to show your progress.

For best results, try to wear the same type of clothing in the 'before' and 'after' images to highlight your transformation too.

2. IMAGE GUIDELINE – How to take your picture:

Please stand with your arms at your sides —no posing.

Face forward.

Include your whole body (from head to toe) in the image.

Hold a copy of a daily newspaper (preferably National or Regional, not local) that is published in Australia clearly displaying the front page.

[*]Take your image against a plain background if possible.

Do not stand too far away from where the image is taken! We need to be able to see the newspaper clearly.

Do not cover any parts of your body with the newspaper! We need to see your physique!

[*]Ensure the picture is in focus and there is sufficient lighting to see you.

Try to get the highest quality images you can good, clear, high quality images are essential. Pics taken on your phone (if a modern phone like android or iPhone) or ipad are perfectly fine.

If you are taking your images with a digital camera, please try to keep the pic size to smaller than 4MB.

If you are loading an image from the desktop, please ensure that the file has a .jpg or .jpeg file extension (i.e. beforepic.jpg or beforepic.jpeg ) the image will not load unless it does.

Do all of those things and you will give yourself the best chance for success!

Once you have registered, you will have full access to your training and nutrition plans for weeks 1-4, future weeks will be released closer to the date. You will also have access to the Challenge forum. The forum is a vital part of your Challenge experience and only accessible to registered Challengers. You can use it to ask questions to our awesome team of Coaches and Ambassadors or even the Challenge Admin team (if you have any issues or queries with your profile or the website). It's also a fantastic place to chat and support other like-minded challengers! It's available for you 7 days a week, so make sure you use it!

Remember, you must complete the entire registration process, including entering all required information, your before image and clicking the confirmation button in the email you will receive. Registrations are not official until this confirmation email link is clicked. When you do that, you will be taken to the site, logged in and you are ready to go!!

Finally - you can register anytime from 3PM tomorrow, Monday 15th July right up until 11:59PM on Sunday the 28th of July. It makes no difference at all and is entirely up to you. The official first day of the Challenge is Monday 29th July. That’s when the clock on the 12 weeks starts ticking for everyone and also the date you will have access to your blogs – but there will be more details on the blogs to come soon.We hope you are pumped and ready for this Challenge. As we’ve said – it can be a life changing experience, and we look forward to having you on board.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Yeah well it depends on your goals somewhat. Some people may want to just cut down body fat and maintain muscle mass, where others are trying to put on mass.

I think if the event went for 6-12 months, a lot of people would quit or lose interest. You can get a lot done in 3 months if you're dedicated.

Below I'll copypasta the emails I've been sent about the event.

I think the goal seemed pretty straight forward. Put on as much muscle mass as you can, and create the most aesthetic physique as you can, in 3 months. If this required losing fat, then they lost fat. If it required putting on lean mass, then they put on lean mass.

As I said, I don't think the 3 month challenge (going by all the pictures and videos), is an accurate representation of what these people, or the human body is capable of. If people are making the gains at 3months, then I don't think having it as 6 or 12months will cause as many to lose interest as you think. But I don't doubt the group would get smaller than the 3 month challenge.

I think the pictures used were misleading. However, I did enjoy the interviews with the top 10 contenders, and their journey's were a great watch.

I don't doubt some probably looked better than what was actually shown in the before and after picture too.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

We are very excited to let you all know that registrations for the MAX’s Muscle-UP Challenge and Maxine’s Shape-Up Challenge ARE NOW OPEN!!! You can register anytime from now until 11:59PM on Sunday the 28th July. Please (and we know some people just can’t help themselves for some reason) DO NOT leave things to the last minute.

Unless under exceptional circumstances we would STRONGLY RECOMMEND you get it out of the way by Saturday the 27th AT THE LATEST! This is a fantastic opportunity to get into the best shape of your life and make no mistake - we will NOT ACCEPT any registrations that miss the timeframe.

“Ooh I started registering and it’s 12.03AM Monday morning on the 29th, I only missed it by 4 minutes – can I join?

Sorry. The answer is NO! You snooze you lose. Everyone has nearly two weeks in which you can get your registration done, and excluding the time it takes to actually get changed and take your before pic, the registration process should only take 15 -20 minutes or so. Even less in reality for most people! It really is super simple so give yourself the best chance for success and for goodness sake - DO NOT leave it till the last minute! OK now just a couple of things following up from our email yesterday:

1. CHECK YOUR SYSTEM SETTINGS BEFORE YOU REGISTER

As mentioned, we have built the new site to accommodate most internet browsers (Safari | Firefox | Google Chrome | Internet Explorer etc) and operating system (Mac | PC) combinations. We cannot guarantee all will work however. As a result we STRONGLY RECOMMEND you take a moment to check the system requirements again here to ensure your registration is issue free.

We have painstakingly tested and re-tested the site and even added some extra combinations of browser / operating systems this morning. The process is very straightforward and most of you will find it a walk in the park. If you have an issue though – it will most likely only be because your browser and operating system are not quite up to the sites requirements. Remember this is only if using a desktop computer.

If you missed our email yesterday, maybe have a read again if you need detailed information on what to wear or the best ways to take your ‘before’ image. Again – it is very important you meet all requirements there as if you do not, your registration may be deemed ineligible. Ineligible entries will be deleted from the system once the Challenge begins.

Anyway, we understand and appreciate some of you might be a little anxious about the process. It might be all a bit new and intimidating. It really shouldn’t be though! We’ve designed the site to be as user friendly as possible, we know you’ll be fine and if you get really stuck we are here to help.

So what are you waiting for? Check your system requirements are OK, and get registering! Let’s do this!!

Look forward to having you on board

The Challenge Team.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

For those thinking of signing up, definitely do it. The community is very large with everyone being supportive. It's almost like what NS used to be. Hundreds of posts an hour and it's hard to keep track of everything. Also, plenty of noob threads lol.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

As you may be aware, registrations for both the MAX’s Muscle-Up Challenge and Maxine’s Shape-Up Challenge have been open since Monday the 15th July.

If you have completed your registration, been confirmed as registered and begun your Challenge – congratulations! We couldn’t be happier to have you on board.There are a number of questions and issues that have been popping up regularly since registration opened however that we’d like to address for you in this email however.

1. HELP! I HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY CONFIRMATION EMAIL YET!

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

This is one we’ve heard quite a few times this week, and certainly apologise if you’re one of the people that have experienced this problem. We have checked, double checked and even triple checked the site mechanics meticulously, and can confirm again that the site is working as it should. It is sending all emails as required. There are some emails though ( particularly hotmail, gmail, yahoo and live.com.au ) that have certain spam filters making things difficult for the process!

Having said that, we completely understand how frustrating this must be for you. Many of you will be aware that our team have been working very hard to try and contact as many of those affected by this issue as possible; and deal with your issues one by one. There are still around 200 of you out there (at time of writing) that do not have the issue resolved however - and this next message is specifically for you.

If you have completed the 5 steps of the registration process in full, entered all the info required, but have NOT received a confirmation email - don’t worry!! We have a solution for you. Rather than waste time trying to locate your ‘lost’ email, all you need to do is :

Go to Challenge website and login using your email and password.

Hit the FORUM button on the homepage to take you to the Forum

IF YOU’RE REGISTRATION IS CONFIRMED – you will have access to the forum, and be able to see it so ask any questions of our team you like! Also, more importantly note that if you can access the Forum you are officially confirmed and are part of the Challenge!

IF YOU HAVEN’T CONFIRMED YOUR REGISTRATIONYET – a panel will automatically appear that gives you the option to confirm your registration there and then without having to receive the confirmation email!

There are a couple of simple steps to go through, but all you need to do make a couple of clicks and your problem will be solved! You can confirm your registration and have full access. It really is that simple!

Apologies again if this problem caused you any inconvenience, but thankfully we can now say that even if you do not get the confirmation email for whatever reason, this will provide you with a very easy alternate solution.

2 – HELP! I’VE SIGNED UP FOR THE WRONG CHALLENGE! WHAT DO I DO?

If you are a woman who has accidently signed up for the MAX’S Muscle-Up Challenge or if you are a man who has accidently signed up for the MAXINE’S Shape-Up Challenge please don’t fret!! We understand mistakes happen!

Please be aware we will be automatically moving the women mistakenly registered from MAX’S website and men mistakenly registered from MAXINE’S website and putting everyone in their correct Challenge next week before the official start date on the 29th. Note we will do this automatically unless specifically requested otherwise ( two women to date have requested to participate in the MAX’s Muscle-UP Challenge against the men ). There is nothing stopping any woman doing this if they wish. Just in case you were wondering, no – you cannot compete in the Maxine’s Challenge if you are a man. Sorry!If you are someone who has registered for the wrong Challenge though – main thing to know is there is nothing more you need to do, we will sort it out next week for you.

3 – USING THE FORUM

The Forum is THE PLACE for you to get help and advise throughout the Challenge. We know many of you have been taking up this resource which is great, and it has been very active already!!

In order for you to get the most out of the Forum however, you should make sure you do one simple thing:

USE THE ‘SEARCH’ TOOL FIRST – BEFORE YOU TYPE IN YOUR QUESTION!

If you have a question; there is a very high likelihood with thousands of other Challengers in the same situation as you, that someone else has asked the very same thing you want to ask already! So why not save yourself some time! Just type in the topic you are looking to find in the search field and you will get all the questions, comments or answers about that topic neatly listed for you. No need to type in your question or wait for an answer! How easy is that!

This will not only minimise the need for our support team to answer the same issue over and over – but also more importantly will save you a lot of time, and potentially provide you a much broader base of information than just a single post, as you can find all the info on that topic in one place.

Obviously if you search for a topic and do not get the result you’re after, then by all means – ask away! That’s what we are there for! You will find that over time however – using this one simple search tool will be your best friend in the forum.

4 – HOW MUCH OF THE SUPPLEMENTS DO I HAVE TO USE?

This has been another common question this week as many of you try to figure out how much of the supplements you actually need to use through the Challenge. Many of you have asked the question in relation to the stipulation in competition rules that you ‘must show you are using Max’s or Maxine’s supplements through the Challenge to be eligible to win”. Firstly – we’d urge you to forget the competition rules when considering this answer. It really shouldn’t be your first priority when answering this question. So how much should you use ?

Well the answer is simple. It’s up to you. Having said that, we must point out that the nutrition plans are an extremely important part of the Challenge process, and the supplements within those plans are specifically designed, and specifically included at the times and amounts mentioned; to get you the best result possible.

So asking how much of the supplements you have to use in your nutrition plan is a bit like asking “ how much of the training program should I do? If I don’t do it all will I get the same result? “. Well - maybe. Who knows? More likely though – probably not. The same goes for the nutrition plan and the supplements within it.

Remember although only guidelines that will need to be tweaked ever so slightly to suit each individual, the plans are based on years of experience and battle proven with spectacular results. The plans work! So skip a meal, miss a training session, don’t have a protein shake, or choose a poor option over what’s in the meal plan; and you risk effecting your result. That’s the hard fact of it that needs to be clearly understood.

We totally understand budget can be a concern however, so we’d recommend you just do what you can. Whether with training, nutrition, the supplements you use or even your mindset – just do your best. That’s all we can ask of you and all you can ask of yourself.

OK, that’s about it from us for now. Remember the Challenge officially starts on the 29th of July and if you haven’t done so already - you can register anytime up until 11:59PM on Sunday the 28th July. DO NOT leave things to the last minute though as we will be not allow any registrations that are not confirmed after this time. As a result, unless under exceptional circumstances we would STRONGLY RECOMMEND you get your registration out of the way by Saturday the 27th AT THE LATEST!

The team will be online over the weekend periodically on Facebook and also in the forum, so if you have any queries, let us know. Please be aware though that the team are only available on phone or email in business hours between 9AM and 5PM ( AEST )Monday to Friday however.Congratulations again to all of you that have taken the first step to getting in the best shape of your life and signed up for the Challenge. For those that haven’t – what are you waiting for?

Cheers,

The Challenge Team.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

For all of you that were thinking of taking part in the 2013 MAX’s Muscle Up Challenge or Maxine’s Shape Up Challenge – but have not completed the registration process, then this message is specifically for you.

DO NOT LEAVE IT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION AS YOU MAY MISS OUT!

Registrations are open until midnight on the 28th of July, but we would STRONGLY RECOMMEND you do not leave it until the last minute.

As we have said before we will have little leniency on anyone that does not complete the registration process in the timeframe provided unless under exceptional circumstances. There has been two weeks for you to complete your registration which is more than enough time and more than fair ! So if you do not have your registration confirmed by the deadline of midnight on the 28th of July, you face the likelihood of standing on the sideline and being out of the Challenge. So for goodness sake – please get organised and get registering!

Also, please be aware the Challenge admin team will only be on hand and available for a very small time only on the weekend ( in the morning of Saturday the 27th up to 12PM. )

After that – you will certainly still be able to register online but we cannot guarantee you get access any admin support via our facebook sites, forum or email. The phone help line is only open business hours (Mon – Thurs 9AM to 5PM and Fri 9AM to 4PM AEST) so will not be available either on the weekend. So if you hit a snag with your registration on the weekend after 12PM Saturday – you’ll be on your own!

Remember - if you do not complete your registration in time ( by midnight Saturday the 28th ) you will not be part of the Challenge this year.

As a result we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you complete your registration by lunchtime Saturday the 27th at the latest. That way – if you do hit a snag in the process for whatever reason we can help you through.

We make the guarantee that should you try and complete the process before 12PM Saturday the 27th and have a problem - but we do not reach you before the deadline - then we will make the necessary steps to ensure your registration is complete and you are in the challenge. After that, - sorry, no guarantees.

So for the last time – please don’t leave it too late!

FOR THE PEOPLE WITH TECHNICAL PROFILE PICTURE ISSUES

For those of you that have registered successfully but have had issues with your profile picture not showing, inexplicably replaced with someone else’s picture or had the picture rotated 90 degrees, fear not. We will be fixing all your issues next week and can guarantee this will not effect your eligibility at all in the slightest! There are a couple of minor technical glitches in the site causing these technical issues for some of you. We know what’s causing the problem, and know what’s needed to fix it - but just have to wait until after registration closes to put the blanket fixes through. They will be done early next week though and again – you can relax, as you are 100% in the Challenge and all good.

FOR THE PEOPLE WITH ‘BEFORE’ PICTURES OF ANYTHING BUT THEMSELVES

Yes, that’s you – the guy who’s posted a picture of his car as a before pic, or the lady that posted a picture of her cat. You and all those like you – please listen up! You MUST upload a picture of yourself, wearing the correct clothing, holding a newspaper that meets the requirements and facing front. Whether registered as private or public – you MUST do this to be eligible for the Challenge.

Don’t do this by midnight on the 29th and you will be ineligible for the Challenge. All ineligible entries will be deleted once the Challenge begins. No exceptions. So the message here is simple. If you want to be in the Challenge – get a photo up in your profile that is suitable!

LASTLY – A WORD ABOUT BLOGGING Many of you have been asking and wondering when and how you do your blog doing the Challenge. The blog function will become available once registrations close on Monday the 29th July. We have worked very hard to make this function as easy and user friendly as possible for you as we feel it is a very important part of the Challenge process – both for judging and to help keep you on track and accountable during your Challenges. We have also found it is an awesome record you can look back on after your 12 weeks is over to reflect and rejoice on what’s been achieved ! We will be sending you another communication about blogs first thing Monday though – so stay tuned for that. Until then, enjoy your weekend – not long till things kick off officially and MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR REGISTRATIONS DONE IN TIME!

Cheers,

The Challenge Team.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

For those of you that have registered successfully but have had issues with your pictures – fear not. There has been a small system error we have been working on that is now fixed. Some people had odd pics showing in their profiles or loaded pics and could not see them. There is a very long and boring tech reason for this, which we won’t bother you with – suffice it to say we have fixed it. One small catch – if you did have this happen to you, you will see a message that will say ‘Please upload your photo again’ to replace the picture. Apologies – but should only take a couple of minutes, and from there you are good to go! The problem will be fixed once and for all.

While we have been putting this fix in on the site – you will probably have noticed you have been unable to edit your profiles. Well the other bit of good news is that from today – you can edit your profile if required!

This is very important. Many of you have before images that do not meet the competition requirements. Whether you are registered as private or public – you MUST upload a before picture that meets all specifications. If this is not done, and the correct photo is not uploaded, then your profile will be considered ineligible. Please note that in the next couple of weeks, all ineligible profiles will be removed and deleted. If that happens you are out of the Challenge.

So – IF you are one of those people that has a before pic that does not meet the below criterion, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND you edit your profile with a correct picture before Friday 9th August.

IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE BELOW AND CAN TICK OFF ALL THE ITEMS –THEN YOU ARE FINE! We would ask you to please not flood the admin team with ‘Can you tell me if my photo is OK’ requests. Just look through the below and check off to see your pic meets all the specifications. If you think it doesn’t – just upload a new one if you like!

These are as follows:

Clothing:

For men - Form-fitting shorts or bathers are preferred showing legs and torso.

For women - Form-fitting shorts with crop top or bikini bathers with top and bottom are preferred showing legs and torso.

Do not cover your legs with long shorts or 'cut' them out of the image.

Remember, if you cover up parts of your body it will be difficult to show your progress.

For best results, wear the same type of clothing in the 'before' and 'after' images to highlight your transformation.

Image Guidelines:

Please stand with your arms at your sides in the images—no posing.

Face forward.

Hold a copy of a daily (preferably national or regional ) newspaper published in Australia clearly displaying the front page.

Include your whole body from head to toe in the image.

Try to fill the photograph with your whole body; if you stand too far away, it may be hard to see your progress and great results.

Take your image against a plain background if possible.

Try to get the highest quality images you can and ensure the image is in focus and with sufficient lighting. Good, clear, high quality images are essential. Pics taken on your phone (if a modern phone like android or iPhone) are perfectly fine.

If you are loading an image from the desktop, please ensure that the file has a .jpg or .jpeg file extension ( i.e. beforepic.jpg or beforepic.jpeg )

If you are taking your images with a digital camera, please try to keep the pic size fewer than 4MB

All we ask is for you to be patient, and do your best at all times. Don’t stress. Many of you are stressing about stuff you really don’t need to stress about! Remember, we are all in this together. One way or another we’ll get through and everything will be fine!

Good luck with your Challenge!!

Cheers,

The Challenge Team

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Congratulations, you've made it through your first week!! Although a first step of sorts – you should feel proud of your achievement! Good news is you've only got 11 short weeks to go! Now we've had a lot of questions and a few issues during the first week of the Challenge. So we thought we'd cover the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions: Updating your blogs – Please keep your blog up to date with your progress. We want you to tell us about your training, your diet and recipes, and how you're feeling. You can upload training, nutrition and progress pictures, and you can even load videos. Just go to your blog page and follow the instructions – it's easy. To upload a video, go to 'create blog' in your profile, type in both the video title and video description and click 'next step'. In step 2, click the 'choose file' and select the file you want to upload, click 'Upload Video File'. When you do – you see a wheel turning. This is YouTube's processing wheel, not ours. You will now need to show some patience while YouTube first converts, then uploads this video. We have no control as to how long it takes – but obviously the bigger and longer the file, the longer it will take. YOU MUST WAIT FOR THIS WHEEL TO STOP SPINNING AND THE FILE IS COMPLETELY UPLOADED BEFORE HITTING SUBMIT BLOG – OR THE VIDEO WILL NOT LOAD TO YOUR BLOG! Also - Many people seem to be focused on what the competition rules are in relation to blogs. No need to focus on this - and in relation to blogs overall - don't over think it. It's pretty simple. We just need you to update your blog regularly along the way. That's all! Your blog is an important part of the Challenge process, to both keep you on track and accountable, and as a record you can look back on when all is said and done. As result – we urge you to blog as much as you can. Lastly we will be giving away lots of MAX'S prizes throughout the Challenge to Challengers who have great Blog pages, so get to it Challengers! Help and Support – Have you got any questions? Then check out our Challenge Forum. Just click on the link from our home page and you get instant access to hundreds of topics and our experienced Challenge Coaches and Ambassadors, including me. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU SEARCH FOR A TOPIC FIRST BEFORE CREATING A NEW ONE! This will save you LOTS of time, as usually someone will have already asked the same question as you. If not, you can post a question and our Muscle-Up Coaches and or Challenge Ambassadors are on hand to give you the answers. It's a great service!

Well, that's about it for week one. Enjoy the journey and good luck for week two!

First of all congrats on committing to transforming your body and getting shredded to the bone! Make sure you start your week with a detailed plan for the next 12 weeks. Focus on doing what you need to, one week at a time. This first week is all about finding your feet, getting used to your new lifestyle, and being consistent. Don't go too hard too fast, and end up so sore you can hardly train, or worse, risk injury right from the get go. Feel your way and work up to your working weights and intensity each session. Don't forget to take all your initial measurements, like weight, waist chest, etc. so over the coming weeks you can monitor your progress! I also recommend having your training partner taking plenty of pics of you training if possible; it's a great way to track your progress. Record your weights used, reps and sets performed and next week be sure to better them every time you train!

Congratulations on completing your first week guys! The next 11 weeks are going to be hard work, that's the simple facts. So what do you need to think about now to make sure you get the very best result? Number one in my book is about planning your meals, not skipping any - and learning to put you and your health first. Also remember that you can't get lean in one or two weeks. Some people need to ease into their diet by slowly cutting back on portion sizes and cutting out the 'bad' foods. Others can go hard right from the word go. This isn't a sprint, it's a long distance race so pace yourself. It's about a consistent effort of eating the right foods every day, and not giving into the temptation. Lean meats, lots of vegetables, fresh fruit, and don't forget the GOOD fats from foods like avocado, seeds and nuts. Do your best to have quality protein in each meal of the day. Some egg whites for breakfast or even a protein shake, as a snack will do. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Pack your gym bag with your favourite Max's shake and it's time to get lean. The next 12 weeks are Shred time!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Yeah. I achieved way more than I thought I ever could. Before the challenge I was kind of stuck in a routine that never really changed. I didn't eat the cleanest, but I made up for it at the gym (I thought). Seeing what you're capable of when you're super strict with nutrition was really eye opening. Plus I'm training twice as much as before in these final weeks to get the best results possible.